Spooling or reeling apparatus



H. ZARAFU SPOOLING 0R REELING APPARATUS Filed July 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E i w M A 0 V 9a 6 5 0 M A M J J A T: A A m M n x V P 6 m W 4 T 02, w 0 v I w 3 0 A 0 M v y 2 M J u W 5 w 5 *7 V J w 0 m MW 7 w m 00 7 J p 00 W n A, F w m a 9 AN 8 F H g a Z INVENT OR.

Oct. 31, 1939. H. ZARAFU 2,178,414

SPOOLING OR REELING APPARATUS Filed July 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 Z INVENTOR Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFECE SPOOLING R REELING APPARATUS Application July 24, 1937, Serial No. 155,353

11 Claims.

This invention relates to spooling or reeling mechanism of wire drawing apparatus or the like and provides improvements therein.

The general construction and operating characteristics of wire drawing and spooling machines may be summarized as follows: The machine comprises a plurality of dies of progressively smaller size and a capstan after each die, the capstans being so driven as to have progressively higher peripheral speeds occasioned by the elongation of the wire in passing through each die. For the purpose of avoiding breakage of the wire, the machines are so designed that the peripheral speed of each capstan-drum is somewhat less than the peripheral speed of the preceding capstan-drum plus the elongation of the Wire in passing through the preceding die, so that there is a continual slip of the wire on the capstan-.

drums through the machine. That is, while the wire is pulled forward all the time, its speed is less than the peripheral speed of each of the capstan-drums around which it passes by the amount of slip which occurs. The amount of slip is governed by the difference between the actual, or designed, peripheral speed of each capstanbarrel, and the required peripheral-speed to correspond to the speed of the wire on leaving the preceding capstan-barrel plus the elongation in passing through the preceding die, and also by the pull on the wire after it leaves the last capstan.

The capstans are driven at a constant speed, and the requisite of proper operation is that the wire should be pulled from the final capstan by the spooling mechanism at aspeed approximately but not fully equalling the peripheral speed of the final capstan, to thereby admit of the slip within the Wire drawing machine hereinbefore referred to.

With wire drawing apparatus as constructed 4, heretofore, there are limitations to the speed at which wire may be drawn, especially fine wire. For example the same percentage of slip in a machine having a capstan peripheral speed of 5000 feet per minute as in a machine having a 4,5 capstan peripheral speed of 1000 feet per minute, would produce five times the amount of rub or friction between the capstan surface and the wire. That is, with 10% slip, the Wire would slip 500 feet per minute in a machine having a cap- 5 stan peripheral speed of 5000 feet per minute, as against 100 feet per minute in a machine having a capstan peripheralspeed of 1000 feet per minute. At the present time machines are being designed to run with a capstan peripheral 55 speed of 10,000 feet per minute. Assuming that 10% slip on a capstan having a peripheral speed of N feet per minute is the maximum allowable to insure against wire burning (also against grooving of the capstan surface), at higher and higher capstan peripheral speeds the percentage 5 of slip must be less and less, in order to avoid "burning and grooving. However, the percentage of slip in a wire drawing machine is not a definite or invariable amount; it is a variable amount around a mean, due to a number of fac- 10 tors the primary one of which is the changing take-up speed of the spooling or reeling means or other means exerting a positive pull on the wire. Moreover slip ahead of the reeling or positive pulling means cannot be eliminated in ma- 15 chines for drawing fine Wire, because if the reeling means took-up the wire faster than it is paid-01f by the capstan the tension on the wire would rise to the breaking-point.

Moreover, the velocity factor of masses in mo- 20 tion and hence the force, or impact, of such masses is greatly increased at the higher wiredrawing speeds. Hence, the desirability, or even the practical necessity, especially in high speed machines for drawing fine Wire, of avoiding the 25 use of parts which in the operation of the machine would produce impacts on the wire.

The present invention provides a novel and improved spooling or reeling mechanism and one which is especially adapted for use as a part of, 30 or conjointly with a wire drawing machine.

It provides a mechanism of the character referred to, which operates to regulate the slip of the wire within a narrow range, and which is very sensitive to changes in the amount of slip. 35

Furthermore, it provides a mechanism of the character described, in which the wire is not subjected to the shock or impact of a contacting mass or body; that is, the mechanism avoids the use of Wire contactors or feelers, which 40 bodies have the effect of their masses being greatly augmented by velocity in high speed machines, and hence exert considerable and detrimental forces or impacts on the Wire during the operation of the mechanism at very high speeds. It further provides mechanism of the character referred to capable of being used When operated at very high speeds Without burning and with a reduced liability of breaking the wire. It further provides a mechanism of the character described in which a diminishment of the speed of rotation of the spool or shaft is so effected as to be closely responsive to successive increases in the diameter of the wire coil during spooling and in which the running of the spooling mechanism inclusive of such adjustments or changes of speed of rotation is relatively steady.

The invention further provides a mechanism of the character described which may be readily reset for successive spooling or reeling operations, which is durable, of relative simplicity, and reliable in operation.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a wire drawing machine comprising a reeling or spooling mechanism according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a spooling or reeling mechanism as shown at the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical arrangement and relations of the electrical parts of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to said drawings, numeral 10 designates the wire drawing part of the machine, and ii? the spooling or reeling mechanism. The wire drawing part of the machine comprises a series of wire drawing dies i3 and capstans l4, l5, and has the operating characteristics hereinbefore described.

The spooling or reeling mechanism 12 comprises a spindle or other suitable means it for supporting and rotating a shaft or spindle S, the spindle being driven to rotate the spool. When the spooling mechanism forms a part of a wire drawing machine, the spindle Hi is advantageously driven from a part of the wire drawing mechanism, as by a sprocket i9, which is driven by a sprocket chain (or another suitable means) from a driven part of the wire drawing machine iii. The sprocket l9 may be, as here shown, fixed on a shaft 20 on which the final capstan i5 is fixed.

The spindle I8 is mounted on or forms a part of a shaft 25, and a change-speed device 38 is arranged in the mechanism for driving the shaft 25 and spindle l8. The change-speed device 35 is of a type which provides a wide variation in the speed of rotation of shaft 25, so that coils of considerable thickness can be wound.

The change speed device comprises two pulleys 32, 33, each of variable diameter, and a belt 35 passing around the two pulleys 32, 33. Pulley 32 comprises two disks 3B, 31, and pulley 33 comprises two similar disks 33, 39. Each of these disks, 36-3.) has an inclined friction surface, opposite pairs of disks forming a V-shaped surface with which the belt 35 makes contact. One of the disks ofthe pulley 32, as the disk 36, is fixed on shaft 29, and the opposite disk 31' is movable longitudinally of the shaft 26 as indicated at 4!, so as to vary the effective diameter of the pulley 32 on which the belt turns. The disks 38, 3d of pulley 33 may be mounted on a countershaft M, and one of these disks, as the disk 39, is fixed on the shaft and the other disk 38 is movable longitudinally of the shaft H as indicated at it, to vary the effective diameter of the pulley 33. As here shown, the shaft 25 is driven from the countershaft M through gears 68, 69.

Numeral 50 designates a shifter operating on the diagonally opposite longitudinally movable disks 3?, The shifter comprises a bar 55 having arms 53, 54 which hold sleeves 55, 5': which serve to move the movable disks 3?, 38 toward the opposite when the bar 51 is moved in the proper direction. The effect of the belt 35 is to normally tend to move the movable disks 31, 38 away from the opposite disk.

When the disk 3! of pulley 32 is shifted away from the disk 36, the opposite disk 33 is simultaneously shifted toward the disk 39. This simultaneously decreases the effective diameter of pulley 32 and increases the effective diameter of the pulley 33. By such an operation of the shifter 59, as just described, the speed of rotation of the shaft 25 and spindle E8 is decreased, and, at the same time the peripheral speed'of the spool or bobbin and of the coil of wire building thereon is decreased. It will be understood that by such decreases of the speed of rotation of the shaft 25 and spindle i8 through the change speed mechanism 30, the peripheral speed of the coil of wire winding on the spool S, is successively adjusted to the peripheral speed of the final capstan I 5, and thereby a peripheral speed of ti e coil of wire building on the spool S, approximating the peripheral speed of the final capstan iii, is maintained.

The shifter 50 is moved in a direction to decrease cr increase the speed of rotation of the shaft 25 and spindle E8 by suitable means [56, as the electric motor here shown. The motor (iii turns the shifter 5% through suitable means, as for example a worm 52, worm gear 53, shaft 65, worm (i5 and worm gear 6?. The worm gear 6'! turns or is provided with a threaded sleeve 68 which engages a screw 69 fixed to the sleeve 56. When the threaded sleeve $8 is turned in one direction, it operates to move the disk 31 of pulley 32 toward the disk 36, and simultaneously, through the arms 53, bar 5i, arm 54 and sleeve 5i, to move the disk 33 of pulley 33 away from the disk 39, thereby increasing the speed of rotation of shaft 25, as previously described. When the threaded sleeve 68 is moved in the opposite direction, the disk 31' of pulley 32 is moved away from the opposite disk 36, and simultaneously the movable disk 38 of pulley 33 is moved toward the disk 39, through the parts previously described.

The motor is intermittently energized to change the speed of rotation of the shaft 25 and spindle H3 in the proper sense to maintain a peripheral speed of the coil winding on the spool S to closely approximate the peripheral speed of the final capstan i5, and to maintain the amount of slip of the wire on the final capstan i5 within a narrow range, by the means about to be described. The degree of slip on the final capstan [5 also determines the degree of slip of the wire on the other capstans Hi of the wire drawing machine. In apparatus for spooling or reeling very fine Wire, especially, the mechanism may be so contrived and operated as to confine the amount of slip to a narrow range, in which the minimum amount of slip approaches, zero slip of the wire on the final capstan 5.

The means for energizing the motor to change the speed of rotation of shaft 25 and spindle i8, and to regulate the amount of slip of the wire on the final capstan i5 within a narrow range, comprises a free running pulley "iii, and a contact device '15. The free running pulley 73 may be, as here shown, mounted. on an extension H3 of the shaft 29 on which the final. capstan I5 is and is rotated by the moving wire which runs around it in passing to the spool S, and the wire imparts to the said free-running pulley I'D peripheral speed substantially equal to the speed of the wire itself. The contact device 15 is mounted adjacent the pulley if) on the shaft extension 16.

The contact device i5 comprises a brush 18, which may be, as here shown, carried on the free running pulley i0, and electrically connected with a contact ring l9 on shaft 29 by a ground through device I fill comprises a a pulley 18, shaft extension 16 and shaft Fig. 3. Spaced contacts BI, 82 in the path of movement of the brush 18, are provided on a hub 84 fixed on the shaft extension 16, and these contacts are connected respectively to the insulated contact rings 81, 88 through insulated wires 90, 9|.

As shown in Fig. 3, the motor 50 is a threephase motor connected to a three-phase wiresystem through relays I29, I2I, the action of which is controlled by the contact device 15 in a secondary low-tension electrical circuit.

When brush 18 rides on contact 8| current flows from a battery I22, solenoid I23 of relay I28, contact ring 81, wire 99, brush I8, grounded ring 19 and back to the battery I22 through the ground. The energization of solenoid I23 closes the relay I28, and current flows from the three- 20; see

.phase line to the phase windings I, 2, 3 of the motor 50 in the sequence 132 or counterclockwise. This would cause motor 69 to reduce the effective diameter of pulley 32, increase the effective diameter of pulley 33 and diminish the speed of rotation of spindle I8 of the reel or spool.

When brush 18 rides on contact 82 current flows from the battery I22, solenoid I24 of relay I2I, contact ring 88, wire 9|, brush 18, ground ring 19 and back to the battery through the ground. The energization of solenoid I24 closes the relay I2I, and current fiows fromthe threephase line to the phase windings I, 2, 3 of the motor 68 in the sequence 2-3-1, or clockwise, or in the reverse direction to that in which motor 88 turns when relay I 20 is actuated. This acts on the pulleys 82, 33 so as to increase the speed of rotation of the spool-spindle I8. In stringing the machine, the wire is wound one or more times around the final capstan I5, as may be required, then around a free running pulley 93 (when, as here shown, the pulley 10 is mounted on the shaft extension 16), then around the free running pulley 18 one or more times, as may be desired or required, and then if desired, over a roller 95 on a cushion arm 96, and thence to the spool S.

Before passing to the spool the wire may be passed through the guide 99 of a traversing device II9 by means of which the spirals of wire are built up into the coil on the spool S in the desired-manner. As here shown, the traversing reciprocatory frame IIII which carries the guide 99, and reciprocatory movement may be imparted to the frame If]! through a cam I83 in a drum I95 driven from the shaft 25 through a pinion I96 and a gear I91.

The free running pulley I is made with a smaller circumference or periphery than that of the final capstan I5.

Suppose that it is desired to operate the machine with a slip of the wire on the final capstan I with a minimum of approximately one percent. If the final capstan I5 has a peripheral speed of 5000 feet per minute, and has a circumference of 15.708 inches (diameter of 5"), the circumference of the free running pulley would be made 15.55 inches (diameter of 4.95"), so that it would have a peripheral speed of 4950 feet per minute or one percent less than the peripheral speed of the'final capstan I5. With a one percent slip of the wire on the final capstan I5, the wire would travel on the final capstan I5 and on the free running pulley at about the same speed, and the final capstan I5 and the free running pulley 19 would rotate at about the same speed.

Ifthere was less than one percent slip of the wire on the final capstan I5, the wire would payoff faster, and consequently cause the free running pulley 18 to rotate faster than final'capstan I5. The free running pulley 18 would then creep ahead of the final capstan I5 and bring the brush 18 into contact with contact segment 8|, closing the circuit to motor 59, and cause it to turn in a direction to reduce the effective diameter of the pulley 32 and increase the effective diameter of the pulley 39, and thereby reduce the speed of rotation of the shaft 25, and the peripheral speed of the wire winding on the spool S. The reduction in the peripheral speed of the wire winding on the spool S would allow more slip on the final capstan I5, which slip, when it exceeded one percent, would result in the wire paying-01f of the final capstan I5 somewhat slower than previously, and this would result in the free running pulley 18 being turned somewhat slower than previously. The speed of 1'0- tation of the final capstan I5 would then exceed the speed of rotation of the free running pulley III, and contact segment 8I would move away from the brush 18 (on the free running pulley 18) and break the circuit-to the motor 60. The brush 18 on free running pulley 10 would then drift toward the opposite contact segment 82. If, before the brush 18 made contact with the contact segment 82, the diameter of the coil building on the spool S increased, the peripheral speed of the wire winding on the spool S would increase, and at the same time the amount of slip of the wire on the final capstan would decrease, the paying-off speed of the wire from the final capstan I5 would increase and likewise the speed of rotation of the free running pulley 10 would increase. Then or shortly after, the speed of rotation of the free running pulley 18 would increase with relation to the speed of rotation of the final capstan pulley I5, and the brush 18 on the free runnin pulley III would again move or creep toward the contact segment M, and when the brush 18 makes contact with the segment 8|, the motor 50 would be again energized, and the sequence of operations just described would be repeated.

If, however, following the operation of the moter 88 to decrease the speed of rotation of the shaft (and thereby the peripheral speed of the wire building on the coil on the spool S), the free running pulley 18 should continue to rotate at a slower speed than the final capstan I5, the brush 18 carried by the slower rotating free running pulley It, would make contact with the contact segment '82, and thereby establish a circuit to the motor 69 which is the reverse of the circuit established through the contact segment 8I. Thereupon the motor 50 would be caused to turn in a direction the opposite to that previously described. That is, the motor 88 would be turned in a direction to increase the effective diameter of the pulley 32 and decrease the effective diameter of the pulley 38, the effect of which would be toincrease the speed of rotation of the shaft 25, spindle I8, and the peripheral speed of the coil on the spool S. Thereby the wire would be Wound on the spool faster, turn the free running pulley faster, reduce the slip on the final capstan I5, and immediately, or within a short interval, cause the free running pulley 10 to run ahead of the final cap tan I5, and carry with it the brush I8 thereon so as to break contact be-- tween the brush 18 and the contact segment 82, and stop the motor 89.

, capstan is may be adjusted When the peripheral speed of the wire winding on the coil increases (as by enlargement of the diameter of the coil) the operation as described would again ensue: That is, the free running pulley '19 would run ahead (faster) than the ilnal capstan i5, until the brush 18 on the free running pulley 10 again makes contact with the contact segment Bl, establishing a circuit to the motor Gil, and causing it to turn the pulleys 32 and in the manner previously described, to decrease the speed of rotation of the spindle iii and the peripheral speed of the coil on the spool S. By a proper design of the amount of change effected by the running of the motor 6i], through the electr'c circuit established between the brush "l8 and one or the other contact segment SI, 32 (and also by adjusting the spacing of the said contacts SI, 82) the departure from the amount of slip 8| of the wire on the final within a very narrow range. Also, in this way the running of the machine may be steadied, and the peripheral speed of the wire winding on the coil maintained nearly constant.

After the winding of the wire on the spol S has been completed, the machine is stopped, and the spool removed and replaced by another. The pulleys 32, 33 are then reset to a position where the initial peripheral speed of the wire winding on the spool S corresponds to a peripheral speed of about one percent less than the peripheral speed of the final capstan Hi. In the example given above, where the peripheral speed of the rlnal capstan i5 is 5000 feet per minute, the pulleys 32, 33 of the change speed device 30 would be set to provide an initial winding-on speed of the wire on the spool S of 4950 feet per minute.

The initial setting of the pulleys 32, 33 of the change speed device 30 may be facilitated by means of an indicator llil comprising a calibrated scale H2 and a pointer H4 attached to the bar Si or" the shifter 50. The setting of the pulleys 32, 33 may be effected by closing a circuit to the motor ill), through a push button H5 and maintaining it closed and the motor running, until pointer I [4 indicates that the pulleys 32, have been moved to the position required to provide the desired initial winding-on speed of the wire on the spool S. A second push but-- ton Hi3 may be provided for manually running the motor in reverse. The brush I8 is at the same time set at a position about midway between the ccntact segments Si, 82.

A description of the operation and of the apparatus has been incorporated in the foregoing description.

The invention may receive other embodiments than that herein specifically illustrated and described.

W is claimed is:

1. In combination, a driven capstan and a free-running pulley, around each of which a loop or loops of a wire runs, means for pulling wire it m said capstan, and means associated with said free-running pulley operative upon a difference in speed of rotation between said capstan and said free running pulley for regulating the speed at which said wire-pulling means pulls wire from capstan.

Z. In combination, a driven capstan and a free-running pulley, around each of which a loop or loops of a wire runs. means for pulling wire from said capstan, and means associated with said free-running pulley for regulating the speed at which said wire-pulling means pulls wire from said capstan, said regulating means comprising an electrical contact rotatable at the same speed as said capstan, an electrical contact rotatable at the same speed as said free-running pulley, an electric motor device and electrical connections between said contacts and said motor-device.

3. In combination, a driven capstan and a free-running pulley, around each of which a loop or loops of a wire runs, said free-running pulley having a periphery different from that of said capstan, means for pulling wire from said capstan, and means associated with said free-running pulley for regulating the speed at which said wire-pulling means pulls wire from said capstan comprising an electrical contact rotatable at the same speed as said capstan, an electrical contact rotatable at the same speed as said freerunning pulley, an electric motor device and electrical connections between said contacts and said motor-device.

4.111 combination, a driven capstan and a free-running pulley, around each of which a loop or loops of a wire runs, means for pulling wire from. said capstan, and means associated with said free-running pulley for regulating the speed at which said wire-pulling means pulls a wire from said capstan, said regulating means comprising two sets of contacts, one set of spaced contacts and the other set an intermediate contact, one set of said contacts being rotatable at the same speed as said capstan and the other set being rotatable at the same speed as said free-running pulley, an electric motor device and electrical connections between said contacts and said motor-device.

5.111 combination, a driven capstan and a free-running pulley, around each of which a loop or loops of a wire runs, said free-running pulley having a periphery different from that of said capstan, means for pulling wire from, said capstan, and means associated with said free-running pulley for regulating the speed at which said wire-pulling means pulls wire from said capstan, said regulating means comprising two sets of contacts, one a set of spaced contacts and the other set an intermediate contact, one set of said contacts being rotatable at the same speed as said capstan and the other set being rotatable at the same speed as said free-running pulley, an electric motor device and electrical connections between said contacts and said motor-device.

6. Spooling or reeling apparatus, comprising a spool or reel spindle, a driven capstan payingoff wire to a spool or reel on said spindle, and means for driving said spindle including means for regulating the speed of rotation of said spindle so that the peripheral speed of the coil of wire building on the spool or reel is maintained at approximately the peripheral speed of said capstan and the slip of the wire on said capstan is regulated, said latter means comprising a change-speed device and means comprising a wire-driven part for producing changes in said change-speed device.

'7. Spooling or reeling apparatus, comprising a spool or reel spindle, a driven capstan payingofi wire to a spool or reel on said spindle, and means for driving said spindle including means for regulating the speed of rotation of said spindle so that the peripheral speed of the coil of wire building on the spool or reel is maintained at approximately the peripheral speed of said capstan and the slip of the wire on said capstan is regulated, said latter means comprising a change-speed device and means for producing changes in said change-speed device comprising a free-running wire-driven pulley, an electric motor; and a circuit thereto comprising a contact rotatable at the same speed as said capstan and a contact rotatable at the same speed as said free-running pulle 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said change-speed device comprises a variable diameter pulley having a shiftable part, and means actuated by said motor for shifting said part.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said change-speed device comprises two variable diameter pulleys, each having a shiftable part, a shifter for moving said shiftable pulley parts in opposite directions, and means actuated by said motor for moving said shifter.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for resetting said changespeed device to an initial position following the completion of the winding of a coil and before beginning the winding of another.

' 11. Apparatus according to claim. '7, wherein said change-speed device comprises a variable diameter pulley having a shiftable part, a shifter for moving said shiftable pulley part, and means actuated by said motor for moving said shifter, and further comprising means for resetting said change-speed device to an initial position following the completion of the winding of a coil and before beginning the winding of another, and means for indicating the setting of said change speed device comprising an indicating part mounted on said shifter.

HERMAN ZARAFU. 

